When cleaning personnel wish to dispose of waste swept from a floor, this is generally done by placing a dustpan on the floor and sweeping the waste into the dustpan. The dustpan can then be emptied into a garbage can or other waste receptacle. While this arrangement has been in almost universal use for centuries, it suffers from several disadvantages.
First, in locations where waste must be swept from the floor numerous times during the day, or where a large amount of waste is swept, the use of a dustpan can be tiresome. The user must stoop to the floor to properly orient the dustpan, sweep the waste therein, and then rise to carry the dustpan to the waste receptacle. This can cause or enhance back strain and other musculoskeletal ailments for cleaning personnel.
Second, the use of a dustpan and broom can be a nuisance because dustpans can be easily misplaced. As an example, during use, a dustpan is generally carried away from both the broom and the sweeping location to a waste receptacle, where it is emptied and left until it is again needed. However, the next time a user wants to sweep a location, the user must locate and collect both the dustpan and broom. This can be a nuisance because the dustpan and broom may be situated relatively distantly from each other. As another example, in locations where dustpans are often used, the dustpans are often stored by setting them within the waste receptacle and atop the waste resting therein. However, this can lead to the accidental disposal of a dustpan.
Third, standard dustpans have low storage capacity for swept waste and must be frequently emptied. Swept waste can easily spill from the dustpan as it is being carried to a waste receptacle, particularly where the waste has light weight (e.g., dust, hair, etc.) or is fluid.
Fourth, after the head of a broom is pushed into a dustpan to deposit waste therein, withdrawal of the broom head from the dustpan often tends to pull at least a portion of the deposited waste back out of the dustpan and onto the freshly-swept floor. As a result, repeated sweepings are often needed to fully deposit waste into dustpans. This is particularly true where statically-chargeable waste (e.g., styrofoam pellets) or fibrous material (e.g., hair in barbershops or pet grooming salons) is involved, since such waste tends to adhere to the bristles of the broom head.